Facilitating a Sales Planning Meeting to Expand a Regional Sales Team

Case Study: Facilitating a Sales Planning Meeting to Expand a Regional Sales Team

Background

Emma, a Sales Manager for a fast-growing B2B supplier, is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of national clients. Due to limited regional coverage, Emma finds it increasingly challenging to provide each client with the level of service and responsiveness they expect. She is contemplating expanding her regional sales team but wants to ensure the approach aligns with her broader goals and avoids creating an overly management-intensive structure.

Objective

Emma’s primary objective is to increase her regional sales presence without compromising service quality or efficiency. Her instinct is that a traditional model, where sales reps are road-based and manage specific territories, might not be the most effective or innovative approach for her organisation. She seeks a team structure that requires minimal hands-on management yet delivers strong client engagement and sales results.

Planning Meeting Goals

To assist Emma in her decision-making process, I facilitated a planning meeting aimed at:

1. Defining her key objectives for regional expansion.
2. Identifying the skills and characteristics required in her team.
3. Exploring alternative sales models to the traditional road-based rep approach.
4. Outlining management and leadership structures to support a sustainable, low-management sales team.

1. Clarifying Objectives and Expectations

During the session, we focused on understanding what Emma wants to achieve and why. Key points included:

• Enhanced Client Service: Ensuring each client receives timely, personalised support.
• Market Coverage and Growth: Expanding her reach in untapped or under-serviced regions.
• Cost-Efficiency: Avoiding high fixed costs and the need for intensive management.

We drilled down on the specific outcomes she envisions from her expansion and discussed her criteria for success, which included a minimal need for micromanagement, a scalable structure, and maintaining a client-centric approach.

2. Exploring Alternative Sales Models

Given Emma’s hesitance towards the traditional road-based sales model, we examined other approaches, weighing the pros and cons of each.

• Hybrid Model: Combining remote inside sales representatives with local, regionally deployed sales reps who manage key accounts.
  • Pros: Provides flexibility and allows reps to cover more clients virtually while only traveling when necessary.
  • Cons: Requires reps to have strong digital communication skills, and may necessitate a well-structured CRM and virtual sales tools.
• Account-Based Selling (ABS): Focusing on strategic accounts in key regions, rather than a territory-based approach.
  • Pros: Enables the team to concentrate on high-potential accounts and drive growth with tailored engagement.
  • Cons: Could reduce service frequency for smaller accounts, which may not align with the client’s needs.
• Field and Remote Specialist Blending: Deploying a mix of field-based reps and remote-based customer service or sales support specialists.
  • Pros: Allows flexibility and distributes tasks based on skill and need, avoiding the reliance on one individual for both sales and client service.
  • Cons: Potentially higher coordination and a need for clear delineation of roles.

After reviewing these options, Emma leaned towards the hybrid model, given its flexibility and balance between local presence and cost-efficiency.

3. Defining Team Requirements: Skills, Experience, and Characteristics

To realise this model, Emma identified the type of salespeople and support staff that would be ideal for the team:

• Sales Representatives: Outgoing, client-focused individuals who can manage relationships independently. They should have experience in solution-based selling and be comfortable using CRM tools for effective client tracking and reporting.
• Customer Support Specialists: Efficient communicators with a strong understanding of product and service nuances, equipped to provide quick support remotely.
• Skills and Qualities: Problem-solving ability, self-motivation, and a balance of interpersonal and technical sales skills were prioritised. Emma specifically wanted people who are self-managingand would thrive with minimal oversight.

These qualities align with Emma’s vision of having a team capable of working autonomously, with a low dependency on management intervention.

4. Management and Leadership Systems

To ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of this hybrid model, we discussed management structures and systems that would foster both accountability and empowerment within the team.

• Monthly One-on-Ones and Team Syncs: Emma plans to hold monthly one-on-one check-ins with each team member to discuss client challenges, performance goals, and individual development needs. Quarterly team syncs will also be held to review broader objectives, share insights, and align on strategy.
• Clear KPI Frameworks: Emma intends to introduce clear, measurable KPIs tied to client engagement, response times, sales growth, and customer satisfaction. A scorecard approach will allow team members to self-assess and track their progress against defined objectives.
• CRM and Communication Tools: To support her team’s remote and hybrid operations, Emma is investing in a CRM platform that will centralise client data, track interactions, and help her team maintain a consistent engagement cadence.
• Leadership Approach: Emma wants to adopt a coaching leadership style, focusing on empowering her team to make decisions independently and providing guidance rather than directive oversight. This will help her avoid the pitfall of micromanagement, especially important given her team’s autonomy.

5. Developing an Action Plan

To operationalise the expansion, we outlined a step-by-step action plan:

1. Pilot Phase: Start with a small team, testing the hybrid model in a limited region, collecting feedback, and assessing the efficacy of the CRM and KPI systems.
2. Hiring Process: Focus on recruiting for specific skills and characteristics, targeting individuals with proven autonomy and digital competence.
3. Training and Onboarding: Develop a training programme that builds self-management and equips team members with the tools to manage both digital and in-person client interactions effectively.
4. Review and Adjust: After six months, review the pilot, measuring performance against Emma’s goals. If successful, expand the model to additional regions.

Conclusion

The planning meeting provided Emma with a structured approach to expanding her regional sales team without the burden of intensive management. By opting for a hybrid model, defining clear KPIs, and investing in the right tools and processes, she is well-positioned to grow her regional presence and improve client engagement. With a flexible, self-managed team, Emma can achieve her objectives without the constraints of a traditional, high-maintenance sales force, positioning her business for sustainable growth in a competitive market.